Improvement in till-alarms



3 Sheets Sheet 1.

H. W. MORGAN.

TILL-ALARMS.

No. 195,631. Patented Sept.25,l877.

NA W

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. W. MORGAN.

TILL-ALARMS.

No. 195,631. Patented Sept. 25,1877.

INVENTOR PW (i &a .m% qqdf ATTORNEYS Nv PETERS. PHOTO-UTHUGRAPHER.WASHINGTON. u c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. W. MORGAN.

TILL-ALARMS.

N o 195 6 31 Patented Sept. 25, 18 77.

INVENTOR 9 glfiqqwtqfl ll ATTORNEY UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. MORGAN, OF FLORENUE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TILL-ALARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,631, datedSeptember 25, 1877; application filed August 21, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY W. MORGAN, ofFlorence, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, haveinven tedcertain new and useful Improvements .in Drawer- Locks; and 1 dohereby declare the following to be .a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyin gdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic or-combinationdrawer-locks; and is designed to aflord a mechanism which will securelylook a drawer, and will be difficult to be tampered with, or to have itscombination detected, thus preventing the drawer from being opened byunauthorized parties.

In constructingmy look, I make the levers which actuate the tumblers sothat their own gravity, in relation to their pivotalsupport, will besuch as to cause them to return to their former position after havingbeen actuated by the finger-keys and connecting mechanism to operate thetumblers.

In connection with the levers thus made to return to their formerposition after being operated without thepluse of recoil-springs, I usea-locking-plateadapted to be operated by the tumblers, either to .lockor unlock the drawer. Itis made independent of the tumblers, and acts inconnection with asuitable catch fastened above it to the under side ofthe counter,=or the top cover of the drawer, and with which it engagesin looking the drawer. The object of this is to further aid inpreventing detection of the lock-combination, since, if .it were notplaced upon the rear ends of the tumblers, the extra pressure \requiredto draw out the finger-keys :in the com -=bination would serve todiscover such .combination, it beingunderstood that the levers operatingthe tumblers in the combination have to raise the heavy end extremitiesof such tumblers, while'ithe levers engaging with tumblers to slide uponinclines, formed upon their own upper body portions. By placing thelocking-plate so that it rests upon the shorter end extremities of thetumblers which are in the combination, and is free from the tumblers outof the combination, this inequality of pressure required to operate thedifferent keys is counterbalanced, and the force necessary in drawingout the keys is constant and the same for all.

A further point of prominence consists in a locking-disk adapted to beplaced in such connection with the said locking-plate that, by settingthe disk at a certain point, the lockingplate may be operated to unlockthe drawer, while, if such registered combination is not made, the keysare inoperative to unlock the drawer.

I also providea cam, arm, or lever, which is adapted to be operated bythe locking-plate when the latter engages with its stop-catch, and, inconnection with a spring-pressed bellhandle, gives an alarm of theineffectual attempt to open the drawer.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view, in longitudinal section,of a drawer locked by my lock, and showing the latter also in partsection. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a drawer provided with my lock. Fig. 3is an inner side elevation of a part of the lock detached from a drawer,and showing the arrangement of the locking-plate to operate the lever orprojecting lug of the cam which actuates the alarm. Fig. 4 is a view ofthe opposite side of the lock-casing from that of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is adetached view, with certain parts of the look not shown. Fig. 6 showsparts in detail. Fig. 7 shows the locking-plate and connecting parts indetached perspective view. Fig. 8 is a detached view, in perspective, ofthe system of levers supported upon their pivotal rod, together with thefingerkeys and connections. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the recessedlocking-disk, with a portion of its connecting-rod.

The fingerkeys A, wire connections B, and their drawer attachments maybe made as shown in the drawing, or in any other desired manner. As myinvention is independent of the same their purpose is answered, providedthey suitably operate the levers O, to which the wire connections arerespectively secured. These levers are made each with the frontextension D, which may be in any other form than that shown, providedonly it is so made with reference to the pivotal supporting-point c ofthe lever as to cause the latter to swing downward and forward when hungupon said pivotal point. This front formation is to give such weight tothat part of the body of the lever in front of its supporting-point thatthe constant position of the lever will be thereby determined to swingdownward and forward. The two reversely-inclined faces 0 0 formed uponthe upper extremity of the lever will be thereby allowed to respectivelyengage with one of the tumblers E in looking or unlocking thecombination, and thereupon immediately returning to its former position.

The tumblers are pivoted upon a suitable cross-rod or support, F, andthe snaps f are also placed upon the latter, each one either to theright or left of its respective tumbler, accordingly as the latter areto be put in the active combination, which unlocks the drawer, or thepassive combination, which serves to lock the drawer, if unwarrantablyoperated.

These tumblers also operate as gravity-arms, in connection with thereversely-inclined faces on the extremities of each lever with whichthey respectively engage, their pivotal sup' port bearing a similarrelation to the proportiomnent of their weight, as is the case with thelevers 0, having their weighted front ex tensions D so far out ofvertical line with the rod 11, upon which the lovers are hung.

The locking-plate G is supported loosely upon the cross-rod F, or, ifdesired, may have each of its two arms, g, respectively pivoted to theframe-work casing of the lock, the object being fully answered by makingit as a piece independent from the tumblers.

Any suitable forward projection, h,isformed thereon, provided only it isadapted to engage with a catch, H, which latter may be of any desiredconstruction, and formed, fastened, or in any manner connected to theunder side of the counter or fixed top-cover to the drawer, beneathwhich the drawer slides.

This catch is adapted to rest upon the front extremities of thosetumblers which are in the active combination, and as it is supportedupon said shorter extremities of the tumblers forward of their pivotalpoint of support, it is made of such gravity relative to its own pivotalbearing that it falls by reason of its own weight as the said frontextremities of the tumblers are lowered under the engaging action oftheir opposite extremities with the levers 0. According as the tumblersare arranged upon their supporting-rod, as governed by the intermediateplacing of the snaps f, so as to be in horizontal line with either oneof the reversely-inclined faces 0 or 0 so the tumblers arecorrespondingly put into active lockcombination or placed in the passiveor inactive combination. A lug or finger projection, K, is formed uponthe lower front body of the locking-plate, and is adapted to fit into arecess, l, made in the periphery of the disk L,

which latter may be suitably secured to the cross frame-work of thedrawer.

This disk is operated by the rod M, suitably provided with a handle, N,and figures, letters, or other symbols are placed on the latter; and thedisk may be adjusted upon its rod, so that by suitably bringing therecess 1 of the disk in line to receive the registering projection ofthe locking-plate, the said plate may pass in horizontal line beneathits locking-stop H.

Instead of having a single recess in the disk, two or more may be used;and instead of adjusting the disk upon its supporting-rod, in order toplace its recess in line with any predetermined symbol-point of thehandle, the reverse may take place, and the handle adjusted tocorrespond with the disks recess.

A pointer, u, is used to aid in bringing the indexed handle into properposition to unlock the disk, which is secured to the outer side of thedrawer end. In this instance, too, a reverse arrangement of parts may bemade. Thus, the pointer may be secured to the handle, and a circularregistering-plate be secured to the drawer end.

The alarm mechanism may be placed either to the right or the left of thelocking mechanism, and is made as follows: A cam-lever, P, is pivoted tothe wall 1; of the frame-work of the lock-casing, opposite to the sideagainst which the arm 9 of the locking-plate slides in vertical movementas the plate is operated by the tumblers. A lug or projection, 11, onthe extremity of this cam-lever passes through a hole or opening, 10 inthe said wall 1), and is engaged by the arm g as the locking-plate iscaught by its stop H. This engagementcauses that portion of thecam-lever on the opposite side of its pivotal point from that engagingwith arm g to raise the locking-pin B, so as to release its top lug rfrom out the recess r of the wall 1). This allows the slide S to yieldto the recoil pressure of spring 8, and, as the hammer-handle t ofhammer T is rigidly fixed to this slide, the bell U is struck forciblyby the hammer as the slide is urged along its supporting-rod V. A pieceof rubber, bound spring, or other resilient material, to, is also placedupon this rod at its extremity, or in suitable position to receive theimpact of the slide after it has advanced suificiently far to allow thealarm to be sounded.

The locking-pin is adapted to automatically set the spring-pressed slidein readiness to be sprung by falling of its own weight into itslocking-recess r under the engagement of the slide with the stop X,secured to the lower side of the counter or top cover of the drawer, ina horizontal line therewith, and adapted by its position relative tosaid slide to force the latter forward as the drawer is closed, so as toallow the pin R to drop into its locking-recess.

The pin is formed with a right-angular projection, 3 adapted to come incontact with the under side of the slide 'fixed upon its rod, so thatafter the pin has been raised sufficiently for its locking-lug 1' toclear recess r it will be prevented from rising farther, and be thuskept from displacement.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, with the oscillatinglocking-plate and the horizontal tumblers, of the vertically-swinginglevers, said levers bein g formed with the front weighted extensions, asdescribed, whereby they tend-to maintain a certain definite positionupon their pivotal support without the use of springs, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the horizontal tumblers, pivoted upon asuitable support, of the oscillating locking-plate, the latter havingfront vertical bearing upon the body portions of the tumblers, which areforward of said pivotal support, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the tumblers, of the locking-plate, pivoted tothe tumbler-supporting rod, and adapted to be operated by tumblerseither in or out of the lock-combination in respectively unlocking andlocking the drawer, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the oscillating locking-plate adapted to beoperated by the tumblers in a combination-lock, and formed with thefinger-projection, of the disk, provided with a recess to register withthe said-fingerprojection in unlocking the drawer, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with the locking-plate having side arms,respectively pivoted to the tumbler-supporting rod, and provided withthe forward projecting finger, of the recessed disk, located within thedrawer, and the connecting-rod having an indexed handle and suitableregistering devices, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the locking-plate and its oscillating arm, ofthe spring-pressed hammer and intermediate connections, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination, with the locking-plate arm and the pivotedcam-lever, adapted to be engaged therewith, of the locking-pin,springpressed slide, and the alarm mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a drawer-alarm, the combination, with the pivoted cam-lever andspring-pressed slide, carrying the bell-hammer, of the locking-pin,

adapted to fit into a recess formed in the upper wall-body of thelock'casing or lock-supporting frame-work, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the spring-pressed slide, of the stop securedto the under side of the counter or fixed cover of the drawer, andadapted to automatically set the alarm upon closure of the drawer,substantially as described.

10. In a drawer-alarm, the loose or independent locking-pin, made withthe right-angular projection on its upper side body, in combination withthe lock-casing, formed with a recess adapted to receive the saidprojection and automatically lock the springpressed slide, substantiallyas described.

11. The combination, with the catch secured to the under side of thecounter or drawer top, the oscillating locking-plate provided with sidearm extension, and the camlever formed with a righ t-angular stud, ofthe lock-casing or partition-wall, which indirectly supports the saidlocking-plate, and which is provided with an opening in its rear body,

adapted to allow of the vertical movement therein of the said cam-leverstud, substantially as described.

12. In a drawer-alarm, the combination, with the spring-pressed slideand cam-lever, of the locking-pin, provided with the projection formedright-angularly on its lower side body, and adapted to prevent the saidpin from undue vertical rise, substantially as described.

13. In a drawer-alarm, the combination, with the locking-pin, of thespring-pressed slide, made with a vertical recess in its side body,adapted to receive the said pin, substantially as described.

14. In a drawer-alarm, the combination, with the spring-pressed slideand the partition-wall, provided with a recess in its upper body, of thelocking-pin, loosely secured between the wall and slide, said pin havingright-angular studs formed, respectively, on difi'erent sides of itsupper and lower body sides, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this17th day of August, 1877.

HENRY WESLEY MORGAN.

Witnesses:

OLIVER EDWARDS, H. P. DIBBLE.

